


Midnight Conversation

by seraphina_snape



Series: gameofcards writings [11]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Family, Father-Son Relationship, Gap Filler, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Stilinski Family Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 23:02:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10774317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seraphina_snape/pseuds/seraphina_snape
Summary: Sheriff Stilinski comes home and finds Derek Hale in his son's bed. But it's not like that. (No, really.)





	Midnight Conversation

**Author's Note:**

> [it's _really_ not like that - don't come crying to me if you reach the end and are disappointed!]
> 
> set in the summer before s3, slight AU (maybe) in that Stiles finds out about the alpha pack when Derek runs into them while looking for Erica and Boyd (even though that's only briefly mentioned here)
> 
> for the prompt "caught red-handed", Challenge 12 @ gameofcards

"Uhhhh," Stiles says, drawing the word out for as long as he can while his brain frantically tries to come up with an excuse. Some kind of explanation. Anything other than-- "It's not what it looks like?"

 _Great,_ he silently berates himself. _It's not what it looks like._ That's _convincing._

His dad, unsurprisingly, gives him an unimpressed look and does a quick survey of the room, his eyes lingering uncomfortably long on Derek's sleeping form. Stiles waits nervously until his dad looks back at him. 

"Downstairs, Stiles. Now."

Stiles nods and stumbles after his dad, taking care to close his door as quietly as possible. But Derek seems to be out for the night, sleeping the sleep of the… well, of the not-so-innocent.

Downstairs, his dad bypasses the living room and its comfy couch, the dining room that's being used for storage more than eating, and the kitchen with its homey feel. 

Stiles makes a face as his dad leads him to the office – so it's going to be _that_ kind of talk. The kind where Stiles is as uncomfortable as possible, sitting on the chair that looks comfortable but always manages to poke a spring at him no matter how he sits on it. If he gets to sit at all – the chair is laden with files. 

"Don't even think about looking at them," his dad says, seeing Stiles eye the stack. Stiles doesn't protest – he has more important things to worry about than some B&Es and a gas station robbery, and it's not like his dad would believe him right now.

His dad sits down behind his desk and still somehow manages to glare _down_ at Stiles even though he's looking up at him.

"Explain to me how you went from 'I barely know the guy' to 'maybe I know him a bit' to 'he's _sleeping in my bed_ ', Stiles. Explain," his dad says, raising one cautionary finger, "completely and honestly."

Stiles does some quick mental calculations of how much shit he'll be in if he lies to his dad vs. how much shit he'll be in if he actually tells the truth. Either way, he's probably grounded for the rest of the summer. Not that it matters much. Scott has all but abandoned him (although Stiles can't really fault him for looking for a cure and spending time with Allison at the same time) and his entire social life consists of stumbling after Derek when they search the woods for any sign of Erica and Boyd and then doing research when Derek gets fed up with dragging his (slow, human, _breakable_ ) carcass along for the ride.

"It's not what you think, Dad!" _Okay, good. Strong start._

Unfortunately he gets derailed right off the bat. 

"I don't know what to think, Stiles! Last year you accused Derek Hale of murder – _twice!_ – and now he's sleeping in your bed! And trust me, I noticed he was naked."

Stiles winces a little. "That's not even--he's not _naked_. He's wearing underwear. But his clothes were--" _stained with black gore and blood, so much blood_ "--dirty and he doesn't have anywhere to go, Dad! So maybe Derek and I aren't BFFs, but I couldn't just leave him outside."

His dad sighs – he definitely noticed the slight pause in Stiles' explanation; that's his 'I know you're lying to me' face – and rubs a hand over his chin. The rasp of his stubble against his palm is loud in the quiet of the office, and Stiles fights the urge to fill the silence with words. Instead, his fingers start tapping against his thighs, drumming out a steady rhythm. 

"Okay," his dad says after a seemingly endless silence. "Okay, start at the top. All the way at the top. You accused Derek Hale of murder. And then at some point he, what? Wasn't so bad anymore? Just – explain it to me, Stiles."

Stiles bites his lip, fighting the hard knot inside him that makes his stomach roll and his throat ache. His dad sounds so tired, and he's almost pleading with Stiles to-- what? Tell the truth? Let him back in? They used to be able to talk about anything. 

_No,_ Stiles mentally corrects himself. They never talk about Mom, or his dad's subsequent drinking habit, or the way Stiles has an almost compulsive need to check up on his last remaining parent to make sure he's really still there.

And yet it still feels like they've unlearned how to talk to each other ever since werewolves became an issue. Not that his dad knows _that's_ the issue. 

Stiles sighs and perches on the edge of the chair, pushing the stack of files back with his butt. "Okay. So we accused Derek of murder. First because we really think he did it, and the second time… We didn't really see who it was. In the shadows he looked enough like Derek. Of course it turned out be Peter. Thinking back now I actually think I recognized him, but at the time I thought he was in a coma, so I just--I don't know. My mind just refused to accept it, I guess. And when Scott said it was Derek, I figured that must have been it. I just mistook Derek for Peter in the darkness."

His dad doesn't look convinced, but he's leaning back slightly, nodding at Stiles to go on.

"I falsely accused a guy of murder – twice – so I figured I owed him at least an apology. I dragged Scott with me, and we spent a few nights hanging around downtown trying to find Derek. We eventually did and apologized, and it did not go over well. I don't blame him, but Derek wasn't exactly our number 1 fan. Scott was okay with that, but you know me. I wanted-- I don't know. I guess I wanted him to know that I was sorry, but it, well. It annoyed me that he just brushed us off."

His dad snorts. "So you went and pestered him?"

Stiles shrugs, relaxing a little now that his dad doesn't look completely unconvinced anymore. "Kind of. I just said hi whenever I saw him and maybe I made sure to gas up the Jeep every time I saw him filling up his car? I just figured he'd get used to me and maybe then he'd listen. Really listen."

"Okay." His dad shifts in his seat. "That's still a big jump from trying to apologize to having him sleep naked in your bed."

Stiles took a deep breath. His dad was buying it so far – now he just had to make sure he kept things vague again that he didn't accidentally contradict himself in the future, but specific enough that his dad believed it. 

"It worked. Eventually I mean. Derek used to just stare blankly whenever I talked to him – really made me feel like I was talking _at_ him rather than to him – but eventually he moved up to grunting disinterestedly. And then it was just a small leap to 'what do you want _now_ , Stiles?' and 'oh, it's you again'." 

Stiles allows himself a small grin. His account is close enough to the truth, just minus all the life-threatening encounters with various supernatural beasties, and Derek's own habit of flashing his eyes or his claws at people. But it's only now that Scott isn't at Stiles' side 24/7 that he and Derek have actually _talked_. Stiles doesn't mind Scott holding a grudge (he can hold a grudge with the best of them), but it means that most of their interactions with Derek are cut short when Scott or Derek blow up at the other. Without Scott around, Derek seems to have developed more of a tolerance for Stiles' particular brand of annoying. At least enough to come to him for help with finding Erica and Boyd.

"Anyway," Stiles continues, clearing his throat, "turns out Derek is living in… I'm not gonna tell you because then you'd probably go an evict him, but he's not exactly living in a palace, okay? Like, I'm not even sure he has hot running water."

His dad hums. "I'm not saying you're lying to me, Stiles. But a guy with a car like Derek's doesn't seem like the type to sleep rough."

Stiles purses his lips, thinking. He has no idea if Derek is still asleep or if he's woken up by now and is creepily listening in to their conversation. Either way, he's not going to be happy with Stiles for saying it. "I don't think it's a money problem. Not that Derek has said as much, but the Hales were rich, right? He could probably afford to buy an entire building. I think he's… not punishing himself, exactly, but. Survivor's guilt? It's a thing. I'm pretty sure Derek doesn't think he deserves nice things, like hot water and a door he can lock and, I don't know, an actual bed."

His dad makes a pensive noise in the back of his throat and steeples his fingers. "And how did he end up naked in your bed?"

Stiles rolls his eyes at his dad's tone. _Oh, I don't know,_ he thinks. _A run-in with the freaking pack of alphas who kidnapped Erica and Boyd which left him torn up and bloody, with his insides trying to play at being outsides?_ He shrugs. "Mud puddle. Derek was walking and I might have overlooked a large-ish puddle and kind of sprayed him? With mud." 

"Uh-huh." His dad is back to being suspicious, but his shoulders are less tense. Stiles counts it as a win. "And you couldn’t just drop him off at home, being that said home doesn't have running water, etc."

Well, kind of a win. He nods anyway. "Exactly! But then I didn't quite know what to do with him, so I offered to at least wash his clothes. His jeans should be done soon, but his shirt was a total write off. I tossed it out and when I came back he was asleep. On my bed. NOT naked, but wearing his underwear. So I covered him with a blanket and then got to have this really uncomfortable talk with you. And there we are. You know everything."

"Everything, huh?" His dad raises an eyebrow that clearly says 'laying it on a little thick, aren't you?', but he doesn't immediately start doling out the punishment. "Say I believe you," holding up a hand to block off Stiles' near-instantaneous mumble of protest against such unfair implied accusations, "what do you want me to do, Stiles? Derek Hale can't be in your bed, naked or not."

"It's not like I was in there with him!"

His dad just looks at him.

"Okay," Stiles agrees, because that is a pretty weak argument and his dad can probably tell Stiles wouldn't have _minded_ being in there with him, "but I couldn't just leave him outside like that."

His dad sighs, deeply, and Stiles knows he's won. 

"You know, I think it would help Derek if someone spoke to him about his living situation. Someone with authority. And maybe a badge." He gave his dad a hopeful look. "Maybe if you tell him he can't keep squatting in the old--I mean, hang around town without a permanent address – then he would finally get himself a real place to life. An apartment with a real bed. A working bathroom. Maybe a garage for his ridiculous - if totally cool - muscle car."

His dad sighs again, rubbing a hand over his forehead. He makes a shooing motion with his free hand. "Go. Wake up your personal charity project and tell him to come downstairs. Do NOT send him down without clothes on." He shakes his head, adding a mumbled, "what am I even doing?"

Stiles grins broadly and graciously ignores that last bit. It wasn't meant for him anyway. "Thanks, Dad," he says as brightly as he can manage. "I'll get right on that."

He's already at the door when his dad calls after him that they can discuss his punishment when Derek is gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, this was the story of how Stiles convinced his dad to have a stern talk with Derek about having a proper place to live, resulting in Derek buying the loft (and the rest of the building) by the beginning of season three. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
